Quick Links

c CD .� :;(J) .... i(]) BY JEN NIFER ARMENTROUT you, the home cook. But over three action-packed days in April, the situation got reversed. We tested the top thirty recipes from our America's Best Home Cook contest, all submitted by amateur home cooks. Two happy discoveries M Eight editors cooked up a storm in two average-size kitchens. were made: We learned that many of you are creatively using ingredients and techniques that you learned about in these very pages. And we also discovered that our test kitchen can take a serious workout. We had eight editors cooking up a storm in two average-size kitchens, and not only did we all survive, but no fights broke out over oven space or pairs of tongs. In fact, we had a great time. The results of all this cooking? We narrowed it down to fifteen regional semi-finalists, who will go on to compete in cook-offs in Sur La Table stores across the country. In our next issue, we'll share the contest results. Stay tuned. ost days, the test kitchen is a busy but fairly quiet place-just me and sometimes a culinary school intern testing and perfecting recipes by the pros for Bowl-shaped metal sieves are among the kitchen's most versatile tools. They're used to drain liquids from solids, refine the texture of sauces, and sift dry ingredients. We have about fifteen different sieves in the test kitchen, but only three of them get used regularly, and these are the ones you should have in your kitchen, too. Look for sieves with handles made of heatproof rubber or metal; avoid plastic handles. The metal mesh has to be able to handle some pressure without pulling loose from its frame, so press on it a few times to be sure it's sturdily constructed. Hooks on the sieve frame opposite the handle should have a slight curve to help the sieve stay hooked over a bowl or pot. What we mean by: medium or fine sieve Mesh size: 1/16 MEDIUM SIEVE inch. Used most for: Sifting, draining small batches of cooked vegetables, or straining out the lumps in thick sauces. FINE SIEVE Mesh size: 11.32 Used most for: inch. Refining texture and separating fine particles or seeds, such as for a fresh berry sauce. Mesh size: SUPERFINE SIEVE, a.k.a. tea strainer So small you can barely see through it, let alone measure it. Used most for: Dusting desserts with cocoa or confectioners' sugar.